Obesity problem most acute in rural areas

People in some rural areas of NSW are three times as likely to be obese as residents of Sydney’s north shore, according to data to be released on Thursday.

Sydney’s north shore and northern beaches have the lowest obesity rate in the nation, at 14 per cent, according to the figures from the National Health Performance Authority, which detail for the first time how the size of the obesity problem varies between different parts of the country. But in the Loddon-Mallee-Murray region, which includes communities such as Deniliquin, 41 per cent of people are obese. The figures are even more alarming when those who are merely overweight as opposed to obese are included. In the western NSW region, which includes Dubbo and Bathurst, almost four in five people are either overweight or obese. Even in the nation’s slimmest region by this measure, eastern Sydney, almost half of all people are carrying too much weight. Yet even these figures, which determine overweight and obesity according to body mass index, could significantly underestimate the scale of the problem. About 27 per cent of Australians have a body mass index which places them in the obese category. But researchers from the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute and Monash University presented data to a Melbourne conference last week suggesting that according to their waist measurement – a more reliable predictor or disease – more than 40 per cent of Australians are likely to be obese. The authority’s figures showed rates of overweight and obesity increased with geographic remoteness and lower socio-economic status. A separate report from the authority showed a similar trend in rates of smoking, with Sydney’s north shore and northern beaches having the lowest proportion of adult daily smokers at 6 per cent. The part of NSW with the highest smoking rate was the Hume region, which includes Albury and Corowa, where 22 per cent of adults smoked daily. Nationally, the Grampians region of Victoria, which includes Ballarat, Ararat and Horsham, had the highest smoking rate, with 28 per cent of adults smoking daily. About 16 per cent of all Australians smoke daily. The Council of Australian Governments asked the authority to report rates of smoking, obesity and overweight by Medicare Local regions, the 61 organisations set up by the former Rudd and Gillard governments to plan and co-ordinate primary care. Performance Authority chief executive Diane Watson said the figures would help medical professionals and managers to target their efforts to the needs of their communities.

NSW FIGURES

MOST OBESE

Loddon-Mallee-Murray (includes Deniliquin) 41%

Central Coast 35%

Western NSW (includes Dubbo and Bathurst) 33%

Hunter 33%

Murrumbidgee (includes Wagga Wagga, Griffith and Gundagai) 32%

LEAST OBESE

Sydney north shore and northern beaches 14%

Eastern Sydney 15%

Northern Sydney 20%

Inner west Sydney 21%

Southern NSW (includes Moruya, Goulburn and Queanbeyan) 23%

Source: National Health Performance Authority

Measles warning for Sydneysiders

NSW Health has warned people to be on the lookout for measles symptoms after three Sydney men fell ill with the infectious disease.

The men, aged between 25 and 35, may have been infected when they recently spent time in Sydney’s inner suburbs, including Alexandria, Waterloo, Earlwood and Hurlstone Park. They also visited medical centres in Rozelle, Croydon and Rockdale and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital emergency department while infectious in the past week. NSW Health communicable diseases director Dr Vicky Sheppeard says measles is highly contagious among people who are not fully immunised. “Measles is highly infectious and is spread through coughing and sneezing,” she said. “Symptoms can include fever, tiredness, runny nose, cough and sore red eyes which usually last for several days before a red, blotchy rash appears.” Complications can range from ear infection and diarrhoea to pneumonia or swelling of the brain. Dr Sheppeard warned parents of infants or others not fully vaccinated to watch for signs of measles. “If symptoms develop, please phone ahead when seeking medical attention to ensure you don’t share the waiting area with other patients,” she said. Children should receive two vaccine doses, one at 12 months and another at 18 months, while anyone born after 1966 should have two vaccine doses at least four weeks apart, she said. NSW Health offers free measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for people up to 47 years old.

HIV rises as men admit unprotected sex

HIV diagnoses are rising at a record rate as an increasing number of gay Australians admit having unprotected casual sex, according to two major reports.

An annual surveillance report says 1253 people were diagnosed in 2012 and around 30,000 infected people know they have the virus. But the 10 to 25 per cent of infected people who do not know their status is a challenge, says lead author, Associate Professor David Wilson of the Kirby Institute at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). “We need to focus on getting people diagnosed and initiating therapy to improve their health and reduce the risk of transmission,” says Prof Wilson, whose report will be presented at the Australasian HIV and AIDS Conference in Darwin on Monday. Another report to be presented at the conference shows close to 40 per cent of gay men admit having unprotected casual sex at least once in 2012. “We’re at the highest level recorded in our surveys of gay and bisexual men,” says lead author Associate Professor John de Wit, director of the UNSW Centre for Social Research in Health (CSRH). The biggest increase is among those aged under 25, who are less likely to have been exposed to HIV-prevention campaigns. He says about 10 per cent of gay men are HIV-positive and many do not know their status. There has been a significant increase in the proportion of HIV-positive people being treated with antiretroviral therapy, according to his report. And the treatment is working, with 93 per cent of patients having an undetectable viral load, compared with 74 per cent in 2003. “But the prevention benefits of treatment are being offset by increases in risk-taking since treatment became available,” he says. “I would not call it complacency. People know it is serious. But they take risks in the heat of the moment.” The report shows an increasing number of gay men are prepared to disclose their status to casual partners, but many do not know their status and this is unlikely to be as effective as consistent condom use. Treatment levels could be as low as 50 per cent, says Robert Mitchell, president of the National Association of People with HIV Australia. “Australia needs a new National HIV Strategy to replace the current one which is completely out of date.”

Exercising Despite Allergies and Asthma

Exercise usually is a good idea, even for people with allergies or asthma, and as long as the doctor approves.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology offers this advice for people who exercise, despite having allergies or asthma:

• Take any medication prescribed by your doctor before exercising.
• People who are allergic to dust may prefer outdoor exercise.
• People with seasonal allergies may want to exercise indoors during allergy season.
• Avoid exercising near chemicals or irritants in the air, such as places with heavy automobile traffic.

‘Know Pathology’ are raising awareness

We would like to make you aware of an important initiative that has just launched to improve the AWARENESS of the VALUE of PATHOLOGY.

As you may be aware, pathology is poorly understood by the general public, by government and by other important stakeholders. Most Australians are not aware of the role and importance of pathology in almost every important medical diagnosis.  Few are aware that pathology provides the linchpin information for more than 70% of all medical decisions!

Whilst this lack of understanding continues, the vitally important role that each of us plays in enhancing the health of Australians will continue unappreciated and unrecognised.

The consequences of this lack of understanding as to the important role that we all play in maintaining the health of our fellow Australians – is that the Government entities, insurance companies and others continually reduce the resources and funding for the work that we do – in patient care, in teaching and training, in the cities and in the country, for both public and private patients.

For the first time ever, the industry has come together to form an industry-wide entity, called “Know Pathology”,  that has the sole aim of raising awareness among all Australians of the critical value that our specialist Pathologists, PhDs, Scientists, Collectors, Technical Officers and support staff play in ensuring that Australia maintains a health system in general, and a pathology system in particular, that is the envy of the world.

This industry entity is non-partisan and comprises all pathology industry participants  including  the College of Pathologists, pathology suppliers, the public pathology sector and each of the major private pathology sector participants.

It is important that each and every one of us takes the time and effort to register our support for this “Know Pathology” campaign. It is vitally important that we ensure that Australia’s high quality, highly effective and efficient pathology service is maintained for all Australians.

Please go to the link http://knowpathology.com.au/ and complete the section to Register your Support by completing your name, address and email account…see snapshot of the relevant section to be completed on the website below:

It is important that we do this, not only in our interest, but also  in the interests  of the patients that we serve.

‘Major step’ towards MS cure

A MAJOR milestone has been reached on the path to finding a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS), researchers believe.

A group of international scientists, including an Australian contingent, has discovered 48 previously unknown genes that influence the risk of developing MS.

MS, which attacks a person’s central nervous system and can impact mobility, balance and sensation, affects 23,000 Australians.

The new discovery is a big step towards finding a cure and further treatment for the debilitating condition, says University of Sydney Associate Professor David Booth, who led the Australian and New Zealand component of the study. “The exciting thing about this is we have doubled the number of genes that we now know are associated with MS,” he said. “What that means is every one of those new genes is potentially providing us with a new way to understand the disease and to come up with new therapies for the disease.”

Researchers believe the findings underline the central role the immune system plays in the development of MS. The results also show an overlap with genes found to be linked to other autoimmune diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease. The team of scientists, working under the umbrella of the International Multiple Sclerosis Genetics Consortium, has its findings published in medical journal Nature Genetics today. As part of the study, the largest investigation of MS genetics to date, DNA from blood samples from 80,000 people with and without the condition were examined, including 1800 from Australia and New Zealand. Prof Booth said the “milestone” provided specific research targets. “So going forward we will try and find out why all of these genes affect MS,” he said. “And particularly finding which processes are tagged by groups of genes and that will give us specific information on immune processes that are not functioning as they should.”

As a result of the new findings, there are now 110 genetic variants linked to MS. MS Research Australia’s chief executive officer Matthew Miles said the work was a huge contribution to understanding MS.

Low Testosterone Linked to Possible Heart Problems in Men

Men with low testosterone may have a slightly increased risk of developing or dying from heart disease, according to a new review.

Researchers analyzed studies that looked at testosterone levels and cardiovascular disease and were published between 1970 and 2013. Testosterone is a male sex hormone involved in sex drive, sperm production and bone health. Over time, low testosterone may contribute to an increase in body fat and a loss of muscle bulk and body hair.

The review, which will be published in theJournal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, showed increasing evidence suggesting a connection between low testosterone levels and heart disease. The review, however, did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between low testosterone in men and heart disease risk.

Among other findings were the following:

• Treatment with testosterone-replacement therapy did not improve heart health.
• There was little evidence of a link between low testosterone and atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries that can cause heart attack and stroke.
• There was no connection between testosterone levels and heart attack risk.

“When we reviewed the existing research into testosterone and cardiovascular disease, a growing body of evidence suggested a modest connection between the two,” study lead author Dr. Johannes Ruige, of Ghent University Hospital in Belgium, said in a journal news release. “A specific [disease process] did not come forward, but perhaps less frequently investigated events may play a role, such as thrombosis, where a blood clot develops in the circulatory system, or arrhythmia, where there is a problem with the heart beat or rate.”

“Based on current findings, though, we cannot rule out that low testosterone and heart disease both result from poor overall health,” he added. Additional research is needed to confirm the relationship between the two conditions. “Gaps still remain in our understanding of low testosterone and cardiovascular disease,” Ruige said. “Ultimately, the goal is to more accurately assess the impact testosterone substitution therapy may have on the heart health of men who qualify for the treatment.” Ruige said a growing number of older and middle-aged men are being prescribed testosterone-replacement therapy, but there is debate about whether the practice is too widespread.